down to earth
by stormilys
Summary: With or without gravity, I'd still fall for you. / for karmanami week!
1. common ground between love and blood

**notes** :

 _hyped! I really liked this one bit, happy karmanami week you guys! prompts found on tumblr, just search **karmanami week**!_

 ** _Karmanami Week, Day 1: Red_**

* * *

"If it isn't the color of blood, then what is it?" Karma argues this with her during spring break in the cool comfort of Nagisa's summer home in the province. Class 3-E had gathered for a reunion, and he had whisked her away to one of the cooler areas he had found to nap.

His breath is warm against her stomach with his head on her lap, one arm curled around her. Manami had lulled him to a drowsy stupor, running her fingers through locks that were, at that moment, unidentifiable in color. "Your hair is simply red, Karma-kun."

"That's not right," he drawls, lazily and halfheartedly trying to fight. Manami giggles and catches his flailing hand as it passes by her face, picking up a scent of something sugary and sweet. "Where is Manami's sense of aesthetic? I told you _your_ hair was the color of wisterias… plus you smell like flowers all the time."

"But they're poisonous ones."

Karma only shuffles closer, presses his nose against the cloth that covered her stomach where the fluttering has been nonstop. His hand brushes and pokes her cheek, the sweet scent strongest on his fingers, before his arm curls around her again. "That's why I like it."

"I know what color it is now." He hums in acknowledgment, just enough to make her breathe and taste sugar on her lips. "It's candy apple."

* * *

Manic—his eyes wild and dangerous, the knife sings as it swipes where Nagisa's throat used to be, and when Karma realizes that his opponent had dodged, the snarl he lets out makes it enough for her fear to crawl back in. He is way past listening—he can't hear them he can't hear her _oh Karma-kun **please**_ —and he can't see past red.

In the folds of her pocket and her stomach churning, her hand is clenched around the chemical as Manami realized that this is not the harmless trickster class 3-E lived in fear from for his pranks, but the wrathful devil class 1-A had betrayed.

She could only hope as she threw the bottle, that he would forgive her too.

* * *

Manami tries to sway him for the umpteenth time. "But we have school tomorrow, and… _this_ is prohibited. You might get in trouble!"

"Never stopped me before~"

When she's done, Karma casually holds up all fingers and spreads them in the air, inspecting his painted nails with gleeful interest. They're a glossy red, the kind of red Bitch-sensei would flaunt. Thankfully he hadn't had any on his toes.

Manami laughs. "You look weird."

"Correction: I look _fabulous_." He made a show of tossing his hair back, and Manami laughs louder. "I set the bar for standards of beauty, don't you know?"

Beauty or whatever else, Karma had always been setting standards whether he knew it or not.

"In fact, when this dries, I'll put some on your toes." He smirks.

"But—"

 _But_ he is persistent, his argument flawless, so Manami ends up saying _yes_ to this:"You won't get in trouble when they can't see what they're not supposed to see, yes?"

* * *

Karma kisses her with deliberate slowness, with all the time in the world, and every inch of his warm lips pressed against hers. He smelled of sunshine and tasted of strawberry trouble when his tongue pushed inside her mouth. That was slow, too. Manami forgets the reason why he does this, the same way how all she knows is that kissing Karma was nice.

It's only when something fell to the ground from her hands—when had she placed them around his neck?—that Manami willed herself to pull away. She does not miss how he chased after her, the small sigh of concession against her mouth when she leans teasingly away and the small smirk that curves his smeared lips. _Smeared?_

"Manami is already dangerous with her poison," he traces her lips with his fingers without touching, to the skin where lipstick has stained. Manami realized she dropped the tube—her 17th birthday gift from Hinano, who had been wearing a sly smile at the time. For a moment she wondered (and felt guilt) if the tube had cracked.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," his painted lips drag down to her chin, jaw, until she's pressed up between him and his hands and his lips are branding love onto her neck. "That Manami will be the death of me if she wears red lipstick."

They're a mess of lipstick stains and his wandering hands are distracting and she wonders if telling would be a good idea. "Um, it's-it's called K-Karma…"

He leans away, inspecting his handiwork, and smiles dangerously.

"Oh?"

Manami swallows, nods, sees him eye her with a lazy sort of heat that made something rise within her, starting from her toes, to her fingers, up to her cheeks. She's flushed shy the color of his hair. That seemed to please him, too.

"You should put _Karma_ on your lips more often."

* * *

He is distraught, even horrified, when she's bleeding from every exposed skin and the general populace was running around in panic. No one had expected an unstable science kid to raise hell during the science fair after losing to Manami, and when it had been her turn to shake her hand, she all but stabbed a scalpel into Manami's palm and proceeded to wreak havoc.

"Karma-kun…" she tries to soothe, as he furiously demanded if there were doctors and god _damn it someone call a fucking ambulance_ amidst the chaos of authorities and people colliding, and he only listens when her hands cup his face.

"I said don't move your hand," Karma hissed, avoiding seeing the jagged lines of stab wounds as he gently lowers her hands. His hands are shaking. His eyes are wild and dark with almost frightened worry, with his cheek bloody from her injured hand. Her coat was bloody and torn too, she noticed with sadness. His eyes glared, and he growled, "That _bitch_."

Manami shook her head. "Karma-kun—"

"I will skin her alive, watch me do it, if I find her—"

So she sighed, and, trying to avoid wincing (it just made him angrier), she adjusted herself so she could embrace his neck, nuzzling his clenched jaw as he continued to hiss threats and intents to harm, until he's silent and aghast, cradling her protectively.

"Are you done?"

"Not until I kill her."

"Shush. And that's _murder_."

"It is. You can help, too." He grins malevolently. "I always did wonder if hydrofluoric acid could actually melt a corpse."

* * *

Karma did not like tomatoes. He'd pick them out and push them towards her, stealing her egg rolls optional, more often a kiss. He lets her take his strawberry milk and the cherries he always bought (and he would never admit it, but he bought them for her; Manami does not know this). So Manami eats his tomatoes and always wondered why he slips his tongue inside her mouth when he knows she just ate the tomatoes he said he hated.

* * *

Manami liked keeping her options open for other opportunities, and Karma thinks of the same thing.

Except, he also liked to _anchor_ a specific opportunity he may not be able to take now, but still wanted nonetheless, by tying it down to promises (and favors, for all his idiosyncrasies and mischief). So one day, Manami watches as he digs through the depths of his pocket and he holds her hand in his.

"I hope Karma-kun isn't trying to propose again right _now,_ while he's still sober."

"Shut up," Manami grins, all too amused as he pouts petulantly at her. "I thought we established the fact that I was drunk and saying dumb things— _damn_ where is that thing?"

She nods wisely. "So you're not proposing."

"Not unless it's a definite yes." His eyes brighten. "Aha!"

He takes out a long, thin red string, miraculously free of tangles. Manami does not know what this means, but she has a feeling this is related to her future, _their_ future because with Karma, he always finds a way to make sure _everything_ happens. So she says nothing and Karma proceeds to tie the ends of the string to their little fingers. The length of it dangles in-between; for some reason Manami couldn't take her eyes away from it, and the glimmer of fond affection in the way he looks at her.

"What's this for?"

"Manami is not a romantic girl after all. It's kind of sad," he fakes a sob. Then he grins as he spins her by the hand, guiding her away outwards until there's enough distance between them. "I tied you down to me with the red string of fate, so wherever we are, we'll always be connected."

Manami frowns.

"Why?"

"Do I need a reason why?"

She fingers the string. Tugs. "String is weak. It might tangle… and break apart." She also tries very hard not to think in metaphors when the words leave her mouth, and her frown only deepens when he does nothing but chuckle. She's taken aback when he starts to tug on the string, tugging on her hand, so she reluctantly walks back until he could link their fingers wrapped with the red string.

"This is why I like you." He says, and her throat runs dry. "This is why I tied us here right now. This is why Manami is my favorite person, this is why I want to be by your side. Maybe we won't stay like this forever like we do right now, and also maybe not after graduation, but in the future where we've both grown and proud of what we've built to share with each other, I want _this,_ that's why I'm saying early as now that what's mine will be yours…in ten years."

And then Karma smiles a brilliant smile.

"All I ask for now is if we could wait until then."


	2. to kill a fairy tale king

**notes** :

 _this was hard to do because I didn't have enough ideas lol_ _. karmanami fairy tale, with a twist!_

 ** _Karmanami Week, Day 2: Fairy Tale_**

* * *

It's strange.

"You're not supposed to be here," the witch says. She eyed the figure lounging on the boughs of the great tree she resided in, casually tossing an apple up and down. "…Are you lost again?"

Somewhere, a horse neighed. There was a bulk underneath his cloak, long and singing of steel. A sword. The apple in his hand is as red as his hair.

"Milady, had I been lost, I wouldn't be here specifically~"

The knight jumped down, and he straightened up as he made his way towards her. He towered over her a good nine inches, and his sharp (though friendly) grin was disconcerting. The witch craned her neck to look up; why did she have to be so tiny?

"Hello again, aren't you glad to see me again?" he snickered.

She frowned. "I-I don't understand, I guided you back into the kingdom…" She remembered that day well, too. He had tree leaves stuck on his hair and the tree branches had battered his tunic and cloak; he was lost, and she'd chanced upon him on her way back from the caves. What was a kingdom official doing in the forest anyway, where no one dared venture into?

 _"We were on a hunt," he'd said. "And I followed the wolf into the woods. I guess in my time here, right now, as you lead me back, I think I found another~"_

 _"I am a witch, sir. Not a wolf."_

 _His smirk was amused and flirtatious. "Maybe I meant me."_

The witch did not know if he was being flamboyant or… _stupid_ , but he should have changed into another set of clothes if he was going inside the woods in the first place. His red locks were a clear sign for attracting trouble, and many of the forest's inhabitants weren't as anodyne as her.

"But I came back."

"Yes. Why?"

"I need help," this is where he starts to pull something out of his cloak, and the witch, fearing weapons or anything that may harm her, was quick to react. She didn't want to do it, but for the sake of preservation she drew out a small flask and splashed its contents on the startled knight. He was frozen on the spot, blinking furiously, and when the shock faded, he started trying to move. "Hey! What's this? I can't move!"

"I apologize!" She gasped, bowing repeatedly. "But-but it's for my protection!"

To her surprise, he _laughed_. "I wasn't going to harm you, milady! I was going to give you something in exchange for my favor!"

"I don't quite trust you…"

"That stings," he sniffed. "I trusted you a great deal when you led me back to town."

"A-And it should've been enough to make you stay there."

The knight sighed. "If let you see it for yourself, would you trust me, and give me the assistance I need?" He gestured with his eyes until her eyes were drawn to his frozen arm, reaching into his cloak. "I _do_ hope you'd help me. You're perfect for it."

"You hardly know me, sir. You don't even know my name, nor I, yours." She smiled, despite herself. "What was I supposed to see?"

"You can call me Karma." His sunshine eyes were sparkling with mischief when she drew off his cloak. "And I'm smelling acceptance, milady~"

"It's actually consideration. Please call me Manami."

She spotted the object he'd been trying to pull out, her brows rising with incredulity. An invitation, from the looks of it, and it was dusted a light pink in color, shimmering in the light. The witch looked back up at him in confusion.

"See, I was compulsorily invited to attend the dratted king's birthday party tonight, and it requires a date that the likes of the kingdom has never seen before." He scoffed. "Probably to whisk them away and keep them to himself!"

"Um…" Date? Birthday party? The king? Something was terribly wrong in the order of things. Manami wasn't sure if this knight was mocking her or trying to amuse her. And she didn't _do_ parties and ballgowns; she was witch for crying out loud, and there was a reason that beings like her were banished to live in the woods.

"You're _mine_ of course, I won't let that frilly put his hands on you."

"…I'm yours?"

"Anyway," he grinned. He changed the subject. "He wouldn't be able to if he isn't able to, yes?"

"I-I'm not sure what you mean."

"Milady, you see, the idiot put up a _bounty of himself_ after a lot of failed assassinations." _Karma_ smirked. Frozen as he was, he managed to make it look intimidating. Her heart was pounding. _Excitement? Delight? Something else?_ "The whole _kingdom_ is the _reward_ if _anyone_ in the kingdom could kill him—the best opportunity is tonight, with the bustle of the party, but only those with invitations could go. Guess who got one."

She understood his intentions, but his objectives when it concerned her still eluded her.

"I don't really care for the kingdom… I'm quite content with the way I live."

"I know!" He laughed. "Who says I cared about the kingdom itself? I'm going for the sake of being able to kill the unkillable bastard! And _you_ , milady, _you_ are perfect as _my_ date. _You_ can help me _kill_ the _king!_ I'll be fun! And it's amazing how you've paralyzed me right now! Imagine what I can do if I have this potion of yours to use! If I have you with me, that idiot would not stand a _chance_."

The witch laughed. Now she understood. "So, sir knight, you need an accomplice to kill the king?"

He winked at her. "Indeed, my fair witch. With you by my side, the kingdom won't know what hit them."

"How unfortunate for the kingdom," Manami giggled. She liked this fellow. It's been awhile since she ventured out of the forest anyway. "To hail a king like you when you succeed."

Karma chuckled. "And you shall be my terrible queen."

.

"Ah, but before we move on to the grand scale of things, perhaps you can… unfreeze me?"

"I-I'm sorry!"


	3. what's in a name?

**notes** :

 _the karmanami here is more of an extra rather than the main scenario themselves lol._

 ** _Karmanami Week, Day 3: Code Name_**

* * *

It was dusty, it was stale, and it was _dusty_ in here.

Akabane Mitsuru could hardly see in the dimly-lit basement with the stacks of boxes and things they've crammed inside. How come their parents had so much clutter to keep? He adjusted his glasses irritably, eyes watery with dust.

"Katsu…" His companion hummed in response. Mitsuru didn't know where his brother was, but he was close enough. "I cleaned up the glass pieces, so why do I have to help you here too?"

Three towering boxes away, Akabane Katsumi simply searched into another container, saying, "You heard what dad said."

It was both their fault, and it was their responsibility and obligation to explain what happened to their mother later at supper. With a timely quip from their _devil_ of a father saying they should be ready for their first punishments, and Katsumi almost cried. He was their mother's boy, but Mitsuru idolized their father.

 _You look so much like Karma, Mitsu-kun! I hear you also like pranking people; little Karma much?_

"Why does mom keep her spares in the basement?" Mitsuru nudged a cluttering box aside, carefully, because it sounded like it was fragile inside. He wasn't about to break anything himself this time. "The lab has like, ten cupboards."

Katsumi groaned somewhere to the left stack of boxes, "Will you _please_ just keep looking?"

"I _am_. So mind your own business, Katsu."

"And you should be careful, _clumsy_."

"Am not!" Mitsuru pushed aside mops and boxes in his bid to reach Katsumi, who was already waiting for him with a scowl. He was quick to latch onto Katsumi, and Katsumi likewise started struggling. In the cramped space of boxes and old belongings, Akabane Mitsuru and Katsumi started wrestling.

"Are _too_!"

"Chemical geek!"

"Good for nothing!"

" _Don't_ touch my glasses!"

"Hands _off_ , clumsy!"

In their scuffling, they were unmindful of their surroundings, and things got kicked, punched, shoved aside. A box toppled off of an old couch as Katsumi shoved Mitsuru against the back of it. However, as he did, Mitsuru growled as he pulled Katsumi with him, and they tumbled over and around the back of it, crashing against the fallen box.

"Ow!" Mitsuru hissed, stroking his elbow. "That wasn't cool!"

He glared up his brother, glasses skewed, and though Katsumi was as ruffled as he was, he wasn't paying attention to him anymore. Mitsuru scowled when Katsumi pushed him aside, only to blink when he started picking up the contents of the box.

"What are you doing? Fight me!"

Katsumi pointedly ignored him.

"Katsumi!"

The oldest of the two groaned as he tugged on Mitsuru to join him. "Shut up, Mitsu! _Look_!"

"What _are_ those?"

"Pictures, see?" Mitsuru was next to him in a flash, snatching them from Katsumi's hands. Katsumi simply dug through another pile. "It's mom and dad's pictures!"

Mitsuru grinned as he inspected the faces. Two, nine… seventeen… twenty-three faces that were familiar to them smiled back, frozen in time. "Whoa… I see auntie Akari! And uncle Nagisa! But…"

"…Younger?" Katsumi finished, looking back at him. Fight forgotten, they sifted through the fallen pictures, photo books and memories with zealous excitement. They've just discovered something new! "Look, look! It's mom!"

Mitsuru gasped, "Mom's cute in those braids! She should wear them again!"

Katsumi laughed. "Careful, Mitsu. Dad might go _crazy_ for her."

"I think he already is—huh!" He held up a photo of Karma with two other unfamiliar faces, smile wide and scheming. "Dad's with delinquents! D'you think he used to be one?"

" _Or_ , you know… they're not actually delinquents. Stop being judgmental, Mitsu."

"I'm not—"

It was Katsumi's turn to gasp as he found another picture. A bright yellow octopus _something_ grinned widely at the camera, along with the younger versions of their parents and others that were their classmates. It wasn't a formal class picture, as their father was the one holding the phone. This one picture larger than the rest, roughly twelve by twelve, and at the back of it were words signed and scribbled that both Katsumi and Mitsuru failed to understand.

"'Class 3-E's Name Time'…? Grandmaster Kanzaki? L- _Loofah_? Wow, these nicknames sound so weird… " And there was Home Base, Gender… Poison Glasses? _Moe_ Box? And just what exactly does _The Imperial Prince Of The Fate Of The Eternal Wind_ mean?

"It sounds like a video-game rip-off," Mitsuru hummed, mouth twitching. "But I like this Chuunihan thing."

Somewhere, in a place where everything was right and nothing hurt, a certain Mach 20 creature is feeling insulted.

"You're better off with Glasses Explosives." Katsumi huffed.

"Hey! Who said you can say what I can like and what I can't?"

Katsumi shrugged, "I wouldn't know. The last time I let you do what you want, we ended up breaking mom's stuff."

"W-Whatever," Mitsuru, flushing, snatched the picture for himself. A smug smirk curved his expression at Katsumi's irritated glower that said, _give that back!_ "I _like_ Chuunihan, and I'll _be_ Chuunihan, and you can't say or do anything about it!"

"I take it back. Glasses Explosives is cooler, so maybe Poison Glasses suits you better?" Katsumi scoffed, advancing closer to him. "It suits a poisonous brat like you perfectly."

"Are you mocking me?" Mitsuru faked a gasp, grinning, ready to bolt with each step that brought them closer to another wrestling match. "Hey, now, with the way Katsu said it… you're also mocking _mom_! Remember, remember! She's also wearing glasses! Ooh~ Bad Katsu, I'm going to tell dad!"

Katsumi growled, "That's different! I'm talking to you! A-And I wasn't mocking!"

"Excuses, excuses!"

"What _ever_ , if you're so full of it, I'll be Rolling Riser! Sounds cooler than Chuunihan anyway."

Mitsuru whipped up the picture and scanned the scattered words yet again. He laughed. "Nope. No go. Stern Lecture sounds more like _you_. You're way worse than mom and dad combined!"

"Maybe it's because I'm responsible and Mitsu is a troublemaker."

"Katsu's a troublemaker too. You let me try mixing the chemicals even though I suck at it~"

"Trial and error is important."

"Wow, and look where it got us, Katsu." Simultaneously, they sighed. No matter how much they fought, they were still going to be in trouble with their mother. Their first punishment in fourteen (and twelve) years, and their mother was the one to give it. She rarely ever got angry, so both Katsumi and Mitsuru were unaware of how bad their punishments would be.

Mitsuru snickered. "Ah. Forget these nicknames. These aren't ours anyway, and I figured out who I want to be~"

"Yeah?"

"Everyone's going around saying I look and act like dad… maybe that part's true, but _I'm_ still my _own_ person. I don't want to keep being compared to dad~"

Katsumi nodded along. "Both of us, actually. But they say I act more like mom…" The two of them stared at each other, looking into reflections. One had a pair of correction glasses, and the other sat with his shoulders hunched—a bad habit yet unbroken. At the moment, they were nothing more than legacies with nothing to prove yet. "Forget it. I don't want a nickname anymore."

 _Even though you and the other brat look so alike, you take on after Manami-san more, huh, Katsumi?_

"Me too." Mitsuru glanced back down at the picture, wondering, idly, among the names in the back, what their parents' code names were. _Poison Glasses_ was a bit more obvious, though, and for the sake of peace, Mitsuru decided against telling Katsumi this. "This was cool though."

Katsumi grinned. " _Definitely_ cool. What do you think that _thing_ is, though…?" They still haven't figured out what that yellow _thing_ was, tentacles and academic robes and all.

"School mascot?" Mitsuru shrugged.

 _"Katsumi! Mitsuru!"_ They jolted at the sound of their father's voice, scrambling to shove all the pictures they scattered the small space the basement allowed back inside the box where they found it, panicked and harried. _"Your mom's home! Come up for dinner!"_

"On our way!" Katsumi replied, towing Mitsuru with him. He shoved the box of spare test tubes into Mitsuru's hands When and where did he get them? " _Don't_ drop them."

Mitsuru faked a sob as he sang, "Hurray, punishment's on the way~"


	4. the spaces between my fingers and yours

**notes** :

 _this is overdue lol but i still want to complete the 7-day prompt so here i am anyway haha._

 _ **Karmanami Week, Day 4: Hands**_

* * *

When Manami's breathing steadies, they start again, and she allows him to lead her. It's easy from thereon out; one, two, three, twirl. One, two, three, twirl. _Eyes on me, Okuda-san_ , he'd said. _No need to be uncomfortable around me._ It's good that she's not watching their feet anymore, or minding the problem that they're a little disproportioned on this one; he's a little too tall and she's a little too short, and dancing required well-proportioned partners.

There's a reason why Korosensei partnered them according to height, but Karma does not care.

He knows a few of their classmates are watching, too. He knows when she risked a look away from him when she begins to stiffen, and so to save their progress Karma twists himself away from her, then pulls her in gently from the ends of her fingers. She's conscious and shy though she doesn't look away from him. _It's not Karma-kun… It's being around everyone else._

Manami's hands are familiar and welcome.

He knows these hands better than he knew their classmates' individual weaknesses. He thinks of late afternoons spent in the laboratory, acquainting himself with the spaces between her fingers and the lines of her palms but not brave enough to weave them around his own each time they spread their hands together.

Because in the laboratory, Manami belonged to her creations, all of her, and so, in the laboratory, Karma can admire, can touch, but not claim.

The light in her eyes is humbling; _she trusts me_ , he thinks, _a whole lot_. So he gives back, smiling encouragingly, leading her gently. He corrects where they've gone wrong before, and she delivers beautifully. The routine is not complicated, and she's not the only one struggling among twelve pairs, but she's the only one he wants to help and do it with.

If Karma had it his way, she could step on his feet and he'd lead her forever.

They go through the whole routine twice, correcting each misstep, and it was _beautiful_ to see her chin held high with a smile, cheeks flushed, and it's become a little harder to keep the longing at bay.

"Akabane," is the first discord he hears when they finish dancing to the notes in his head, but Karma had eyes for no one else. _I put that smile on her face._

Behind her, Itona blinks, his hand open for Manami's.

"May I have Okuda-chan back?"

A small, yet emasculating wave of ire made Karma realize why he's done all this in the first place— _petulance_ , that, and he didn't like the sound of _May I have Okuda-_ chan _back_ at all. And yet…

Karma smiled his signature sharp grin. "Of course, Itona-kun~ please take care of Okuda-san."

He gives her Manami's hand. Both he and Itona notice how his fingers linger when her hand lifts away from his palm and into Itona's, and Karma still does not care.

"S-Sorry for the trouble earlier, Itona-kun!" Manami says. She squeezes Itona's hand, and Karma tries not to think of the lingering warmth that remained in his from holding her. "But I think our practice will be s-smooth this time, thanks to Karma-kun!"

"I haven't even stepped on her during our practices though," Itona replies. Then he adds, for Manami, "And we were doing fine."

"And do you know how awkward it was to practice with a shorter guy? And to top it off, he had to lead _me."_ Rio grumbles, coming up next to Itona. Her elbow leaned on his shoulder, and Itona glanced at her uncomfortably. "How _cold_ of you to ditch your dance partner for another, Karma~"

Manami giggles as Rio latches onto Karma, and he eyed the knowing smirk on Rio's face with disdain. He looks back at Itona, and notices, with no small amount of frustration, the fond look in his eye as he looks down at Manami.

 _"Everyone!"_ Korosensei screeches. He's finally noticed that everyone was pairing off with a different person from what he's created. "Please return to your respective partners immediately!"

So dance class resumes, and Rio's hand is still unfamiliar and foreign in his palm.

* * *

 _so i remembered in some anime shows they do some sort of dance class presentations for physical education, and i applied that vague knowledge here tralala~_


	5. home within five foot one heart beats

**notes** :

 _how exactly do you write possessive haha_

 _ **Karmanami Week, Day 5: Possession**_

* * *

 _I always found it weird that Manami-chan always smelled like boy perfume, and she told me it's because of you, Kunugigaoka-san._

Karma liked the scent of her here; the skin just under the collar of her uniform, near the crook her neck. There, on the same exact spot, is where the allure of home was. The heady, heavenly mixed scents of her shampoo, the same fabric conditioner and cologne he uses he's managed to trick her into using, smoke and sweetness conspired to keep him wrapped around her.

 _Boy perfume_. Karma grinned against Manami's neck. _Riko-chan_ wasn't a romantic either, and that was _sad_.

Karma preferred to call it _belonging_.

 _Are you even her suitor_?

"Okuda-san, who am I to you?" He nuzzled into that belonging, clinging tightly onto her, thinking, how do you hold this one person without longing so much of her still?

"What brought Karma-kun to this?" She giggles. He feels the curve of her jaw brush against the crown of his head before it settles there. The scent is stronger, _dangerously_ addicting.

"I'm curious, and in need of reassurance."

An exaggeration, but he liked hearing her say it. This is not insecurity nor territoriality; of asserting himself within the planes of her life, reaffirming the belief that he would be there to _stay_.

He had a feeling that Manami did not get it just yet, but Karma knew he did. He had it all figured out; time just needed to catch up.

Manami caresses his fingers, "Karma-kun is… my assassination partner."

"Null and void. That was two years ago." He breathes against her ear. "We can negotiate about _partners_ though, tee hee~"

"He is my… partner in crime?"

"Isn't that the same as assassination partner?"

"Well… we were scheming things _other_ than assassination, no?"

"Huh. I guess so~"

"Hmm, so… Karma-kun is my boyfriend?"

Karma laughs, but his cheeks also heat up. _Yes, I am_. Had been for a year now. "Hmm, shallow, but better. Try again." Manami scoffs softly, and he grins fondly. There's a reason why he will never let her go.

Manami is fidgeting when she finally says these words, "Y-You are my favorite person. You are…" until her voice trailed, softening with embarrassment. Karma smirked. He knows this one. He knows it very well. "…The… person, I… love."

Karma buried his nose against her shoulder. "Does that mean Manami is mine?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?" He snickered.

Manami made a small whine of protest, blushing to the ears, and Karma made it obvious she was not going anywhere by huddling closer to her from behind. She's trapped in his arms and legs, and Manami is all _his._

"Y-Yes, I… I am _yours_!"

He knew that one, too.

"That's a relief," he purred. "Then, Manami should know that I am all hers, too~"


	6. stand around in your smoke

**notes** :

 _I know it's overdue but what would hurt if I finish this, right? sorry for the wait! expect **on mornings spent swaying to and fro on the train** 's third chapter sometime this week!_

 ** _Karmanami Week, Day 6: Korosensei_**

* * *

 _Again_ , Karma notes with no small amount of frustration, standing through the threshold of the empty laboratory.

Again, Okuda Manami has slipped through his fingers like smoke—it's noise-causing tripwires and a neutralizing smoke bomb this time, and she's escaped via the window. It should be humiliating to be caught by such a basic trap she'd laid on the hallway, alerting her, disrupting his stealth plan so by the time he opens the door, a smoke bomb would trigger and render him immobile for a solid, unfortunate hour; that's what's she's written on the board anyway, along with the reason why he couldn't move.

But it's not.

He is impressed—for both her assertiveness and success. These past few days were a whirlwind of activity; of planning, scheming, laying out traps, of playing cat and mouse. Their classmates had learned to back off after being caught in the altercation thrice, though, twice it had been Okajima and Sugino the last. The concern Karasuma-sensei expressed was surprisingly silenced by the octopus' doing, for reasons Karma didn't know. Did Korosensei know the business between he and Okuda? _He better not_ , Karma grits. He didn't want anyone on their business.

Karma compartmentalized the growing irritation in his chest; hidden behind his smile that's not so nice anymore as he stood motionless and unable, eluded once again. He was angrier at the fact that he took her lightly, underestimated Okuda's skills. In the classroom despite their vastly differing statistics, they all excelled in at least one aspect and that's how they're all equals. He and Okuda were no exception. He'd foolishly thought he could corner her easily and that was his mistake. For straight three days.

And all he wanted was an answer, damn.

 _It's not as if I asked her to marry me!_ Karma tries twitching his hands and gets only a vague sensation of tingling. At least he wasn't completely numb. "Fuck," he grumbles. Was it possible to nap stuck like this? Exerting every effort trying to move was sapping his strength, and he still had 52 minutes to kill. This paralyzing agent was no joke; maybe if things went swell with Okuda again he could ask her to make one of those bombs for him. _If_.

"My, such crude words for you, Karma-kun. I ought to wash your mouth!"

Behind him, a shadow loomed, and Karma's mood soured further as the last being he wanted to witness his predicament slithered past him through the threshold, all green and yellow stripes and broader-than-usual smile. Karma could only glare.

"Ah, Okuda-san did very well today." Korosensei flitted about the room, cleaning up, opening windows and stowing away chemicals Okuda had left. The fumes were batted away and the counter was clear by the time Karma blinked. Korosensei was all yellow again as he waved a tiny flask, in almost a merry manner. " _Nrufufufu_ ~ For all your complexity, it is easy for you to fall for simple things!"

"I noticed." Karma glances once at his teacher's meaningful stare, tries to shrug. Fails. "I'm fine."

"Do you understand your mistake?"

Karma nods. _Learned it very well_ , he thinks. He'd have to apologize to Okuda, even if she might not understand. If he apologized and explained, maybe she'd grant him the visual of her indignant pout and ablaze cheeks. If he was real sneaky, maybe he could try to get a picture.

The tentacles began to happily— _disturbingly_ —writhe, and Korosensei was cherry pink with that droopy smile. "If Karma-kun needs help, I have lots of wisdom to impart! Maybe you haven't—"

Karma's smile is more of a sneer. "I'd wait it out."

"I didn't mean the paralysis you're in." The curious little flask was dangled in front of his face. "Do you know Okuda-san's mistake?"

Karma smirked. "She ran away from me?" Korosensei made a sound that could only be described as a squeal, his tentacles waving around. A tentacle even draped on top of Karma's head, much to his chagrin. "Please don't touch me."

It took a small moment of dismembering threats with weapons smeared with anti-sensei substances and taunting words poked back to Karma's annoyance until Korosensei relented, the last hues of pink giving way for yellow yet again as he straightened up.

"Unfortunately, running away from you was her best take of action, especially since you, Karma-kun, have not taken to consideration the kind of character Okuda-san has."

" _Haven't_ taken to _consideration_?" Karma couldn't help scoffing. "Stupid octopus. Why do you think I've been trying to get her alone? You know Okuda-san, she wouldn't like it if we're in public—"

Korosensei snickered, green and yellow stripes again, and Karma growls. "It seems, you have no idea what your other mistake was." He could see the gears in his teacher's head working, and Karma is appalled to be told that he'd committed _two_ mistakes instead of one. What else could he have overlooked? Okuda hated having an audience, and to be confronted with so many eyes watching would make her unable to answer, and Kayano and Kanzaki would probably shoo him away and stand on-guard until she got home. It's not that he couldn't take them on; it's more of the fact that if he did something to them it would warrant Okuda's displeasure and that's far from what he wanted. Not he'd never push her in public anyway—matters between them were matters _between_ them only.

Karma demands, "Tell me," in the politest tone he could muster. A hole in his plans? _Unheard of,_ but not entirely impossible; the proof was looking at Karma right in the face.

"Don't you want to be free from the paralysis first, Karma-kun?" _Oh, so that's what that stupid flask was for._ Korosensei snickered his confirmation. "This is Okuda-san's first mistake; she left both poison _and_ cure."

"So that means there's another slip?"

"Yes!" Karma did not really like this tone, nor the green that striped Korosensei's face again. "She ran away."

"Sensei, I'm going to kill you _._ "

" _Nrufufufu_ ~ You can try."


End file.
